85 



comes into consideration. The market price of the rubber 

 also has some influence; during a period of very high 

 rubber prices, such as the middle of 1909, there was a 

 tendency to tap as much as possible ; during a period 

 of low prices, there is more of a disposition to wait. 



Especially when the estate, besides rubber, also pro- 

 duces a catch crop, the owners are less dependent upon 

 the general state of the rubber market and therefore, not 

 so quickly compelled to undertake the tapping, and this 

 is, certainly, no small advantage. The general opinion 

 among planters is that it is better not to tap any trees 

 under five years old, even when their girth is sufficient. 

 Not seldom, the assurance is given: "if it were my own 

 estate, I would not yet tap the trees". On an estate in 

 the Province Wellesley, I saw on a three year old 

 plantation, that the bigger trees were tapped, and I 

 must confess that the trees evidently did not suffer 

 from this. 



If the size of the trunk only be taken as a criterion, 

 then, of course, the lower part of the more or less 

 conical trunk is more suitable for tapping than the 

 upper part. 



Generally, the trunk is considered to be suitable for 

 tapping, when the girth amounts to 18 inches, and as 

 soon as the tree at a distance of il/ 2 feet above the 

 soil has this girth, a V-cut can be put on it. If, one or 

 two years later, at 3 feet above the soil, the tree is 

 1 8 inches in girth, then the tapping can take place at 

 this height, and a half herringbone cut can be made. 



Of course, all trees on a plantation do not obtain a 

 tappable girth at the same time. The percentage of the 

 trees in a plantation which are suitable for tapping must 



